


Speaking of Pokemon...

by just_a_simple_pigeon



Category: Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Alternate Universe - World War I, Blood and Injury, Character Death, ClingyShipping, Goodbyes, Heavy Angst, M/M, and a dash of fluff, to season the angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27535945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_a_simple_pigeon/pseuds/just_a_simple_pigeon
Summary: "Hey Luc."Gray eyes flutter open at the familiar voice. Above him stands Barry, his chatot perched on one shoulder and Luc's munchlax at his side. His face is serious, his eyes are tired. That beautiful hazel looks to be on the verge of tears."Hey," Lucas croaks. His throat burns as he coughs. Something dark stains his sleeve after he wipes it across his mouth. It's blood. His own blood. It isn't pretty."How are you feelin'?" Barry asks, as if he didn't just see Lucascoughing uphis ownblood, and honestly if Lucas had the strength he'd get up and kick him, like good buddies do.But his limbs are too heavy and his head is beginning to pound, so he talks instead, though the words come out slurred."Mm tired."
Relationships: Jun | Barry/Kouki | Lucas
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Speaking of Pokemon...

**Author's Note:**

> HI A CHARACTER DIES IN THIS AND THERE IS BLOOD PROCEED WITH CAUTION

There are rats.

Millions of them.

Ratata, raticate, each one dirtier than the last and scurrying around _everywhere,_ leaving tiny, muddy footprints as they go.

That's to be expected. There's a lot of mud down here.

Lucas is curled up in his own little corner of the trench, his breathing ragged and slow, each intake making his lungs ache.

In.

Out.

He has a wound, a large, bloody gash running down the length of his calf. It got infected. It's been killing him, slowly, for a week or two, from the inside out. Today might be his last day.

In.

Out.

"Hey Luc."

Gray eyes flutter open at the familiar voice. Above him stands Barry, his chatot perched on one shoulder and Luc's munchlax at his side. His face is serious, his eyes are tired. That beautiful hazel looks to be on the verge of tears.

"Hey," Lucas croaks. His throat burns as he coughs. Something dark stains his sleeve after he wipes it across his mouth. It's blood. His own blood. It isn't pretty.

"How are you feelin'?" Barry asks, as if he didn't just see Lucas _coughing up_ his own _blood_ , and honestly if Lucas had the strength he'd get up and kick him, like good buddies do.

But his limbs are too heavy and his head is beginning to pound, so he talks instead, though the words come out slurred.

"Mm tired."

To that, Barry nods, and Lucas watches, eyes half lidded, as Barry moves to sit next to him, close enough for their arms to brush together.

Munchlax comes to Luc's other side, tucking itself under his arm and stretching its own short little arms as far around Lucas as they'll go.

That makes Lucas smile. He runs a hand over Munchlax's ears, "Hey buddy."

Munchlax presses closer.

"Here," Barry holds out a dirty canteen. Lucas' fingers fumble with it for a moment, but he manages to take it without spilling.

"Thanks."

He drinks. The water is lukewarm and dirty like everything else down here, and when he's finished it doesn't feel like he's had any water at all.

Water dribbles out the top when he lowers it, leaving his lips wet and his chin dripping. Everything tastes like blood and dirt. He almost coughs again.

He hands it back to Barry, who wipes blood off the cap before taking a drink himself.

Munchlax snuggles closer. Luc pets it again and lets his head fall onto Barry's shoulder. Barry lets him stay.

He closes his eyes and takes a long breath. He feels Barry moving under his cheek, lowering the bottle, screwing on the cap. There's a little 'plink!' when he sets it aside, and Lucas only lifts his head when Barry pushes him off.

"Just adjusting," Barry murmurs, shifting closer, and then Lucas is guided back to Barry's shoulder, this time with Barry's arm looped around him.

It's more comfortable this way. He takes another deep, slow breath. Barry's fingers move in comforting circles up and down his back.

His fingers twitch, and then he reaches out in the dark, for Barry's hand.

Barry takes it and gives it a squeeze.

"I'm right here, Luc."

Another deep breath.

"Thank you."

It's quiet after that. Lucas still breathes slow and steady, his head pounding as he does. Barry starts to hum, and Chatot takes the notes and begins to sing.

Then Lucas coughs. His throat is left wet, and without opening his eyes he knows there's now blood dripping down his chin.

Chatot stops singing. Barry shifts, and Lucas tilts with him. After they settle again there's a cloth at Lucas' chin, gently wiping up the blood.

He opens his eyes as far as they'll go, (which isn't much), and watches Barry work. The handkerchief is stained red. It'll probably be stained forever now, because of him.

Lucas tilts his head to apologize, but instead of words, he coughs again.

Now there's more blood, and more stains. Barry wipes it up, and smiles, sad but fond, when he's finished, and leans over to press a kiss to Lucas' temple.

The pounding in Luc's head increases. Everything aches. It's hard to keep his eyes open.

Another impossibly deep breath. This one hurts more than the others- he thinks it might be one of his last.

He has something to tell Barry first though, before he goes. Something good.

Luc opens his mouth again. This time there is no blood, but his throat burns as he speaks-

"Speaking of pokemon..."

Barry's eyes widen a bit, and the tiniest smile appears on his face, "Speaking of pokemon..."

"Pokemon battles...are a great way to build up a pokemon's strength..."

Barry nods, and the arm looped around Luc's back helps to keep him from falling back, "They sure are."

"But-" there's no blood when Luc coughs "-if your pokemon goes through too many battles..."

Lucas takes in another breath. His chest feels like its rattling.

"...it'll end up fainting," Barry finishes for him.

"But no worries..." Lucas croaks, "...all ya gotta do..."

His tongue is heavy. Is he even saying words anymore?

"...is take 'em to the pokemon center," Barry finishes softly.

Lucas nods slowly. Suddenly his eyelids are heavy too, too heavy to keep open.

Barry is moving again. There's lots of rustling and adjusting. Lucas doesn't stop Barry from moving his legs or pulling him around.

He's in Barry's lap now. He doesn't have to open his eyes to know for sure. He's been in this lap lots of times.

Barry's arms are wrapped around him again, one around his waist and the other in his hair, keeping him close. Something wet drips onto his head, Barry is trembling under his cheek.

There's a headache behind his eyes, amplified by the pounding. His stomach aches, feeling empty, his throat burns, and there's probably, (somehow), blood on his face again.

He takes in another breath. Definitely one of his last.

He's going to go soon. He can feel it.

"Hey Barry...?"

Barry's breath hitches, and he's definitely crying now, "Yeah, Luc?"

Lucas takes in another breath and presses as close as his aching body will let him.

"I love you."

That's the last thing he's ever going to say to his best friend, his body has decided. He's going to die in a few minutes. It's hard to talk and harder to move, but he fights long enough to open his eyes.

Barry is crying. It's a messy cry, with lots of snot and tears and blotches of red around his eyes. Lucas would find him a handkerchief if he had the strength for that.

Right now all he can force his tired, aching body to do is turn his lips ever so slightly upward, giving Barry one last tiny smile.

Barry lets out a sob and tucks Luc into a fierce hug. It takes everything in him to shift his fingers the tiniest bit, to latch them onto Barry's shirt. He never wants to let go.

"I love you too," Barry chokes through his tears, fingers laced through Luc's hair, "I-I love you too-"

His breath hitches. Lucas can't say anything. He opens his mouth, but he can't move his lips, and no voice comes from his throat.

The edges of his vision are fading. His eyelids are heavy. He closes them, and lets out one last shuddering breath.

The last thing he feels before everything goes dark are Barry's lips, once again pressed to his temple, and the gentle squeeze of their last hug.

"I love you, Luc," Barry whispers.

And then Lucas is gone.

**Author's Note:**

>  ~~don't hate me plz i'm fragile~~  
>  I am completely willing to rate this differently or give it more tags, so just say the word if you think i should add/change anything
> 
> come hang out on [tumblr](https://just-a-simple-pigeon.tumblr.com/) if you want :)


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